Brockton oil leak found, 1,200 gallons missing

Friday

Oct 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2008 at 5:13 AM

Leaky oil tank causes extensive environmental damage in Brockton

Elaine Allegrini

More than 1,000 gallons of heating oil spilled from a tank in a West Street home, investigators discovered Thursday, four days after the oil reached West Meadow Brook and set off an investigation by local, state and federal agencies.

“Sometime since March, 1,200 gallons of oil went somewhere,” said Fire Lt. Edward Williams. “The majority of that probably leaked into the environment.”

He said it is the largest oil release in recent memory, the most environmentally damaging and will likely be the most costly to clean up.

The state Department of Environmental Protection and federal Environmental Protection Agency joined local fire and environmental inspectors in the probe earlier this week.

Investigators went to 332 West St. Thursday afternoon after a local oil dealer called the Fire Department to report a leaking tank, according to Williams. They found a 1,000-gallon oil tank empty in the basement where a new gas-fired burner had been installed in the house this week without proper permits, he added.

The house is directly across the street from the area of the brook where the oil was discovered on Sunday. Nearby residents reported smelling oil in street drains for up to four weeks.

Williams said the homeowner, Gilbert Brown, reported that he began smelling oil Wednesday night and since then had collected 15 containers of an oil-water mix from the basement sump hole.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is leading the clean-up and investigation. A city health inspector declared the house uninhabitable because of the oil vapors and lack of heat and hot water. And, the Fire Department had gas service shut off as a precaution.

“My guess is it’s been leaking for some time,” Williams said. “It may have been leaking through a smaller hole and as it got larger, it allowed more oil to spill out this weekend.”

He estimated damage could reach “six figures” or more.

Brown reported that he had the 1,000-gallon tank filled in March and got another 200 gallons earlier this month, Williams said. The gauge was not working, he added.

Brown could not be reached for comment Thursday. A woman at the home declined to comment.

“I’m glad they finally found it,” said David Russell Jr., a nearby resident. He said he was “not yet” worried about the contamination spreading to his property, but Williams said it’s possible that oil traveled beyond the Brown property.

Williams said the clean-up will be extensive, starting with excavation of the basement and yard at Brown’s house where the street drain passes under the breezeway.

“They possibly could need to dig up the entire basement,” Williams said. The oil traveled through the street drain to the brook, investigators said.

The DEP had an environmental clean-up company on site Thursday afternoon and into the evening. That work is expected to continue for several days.

“It’s a good possibility they may not live there for some time,” said Williams.

He said the DEP will oversee the project, which will move from clean-up to remediation, not only at the source but at the brook and wetlands along its path.

Thorny Lea Golf Club has already spent more than $30,000 on the clean-up since the oil was first discovered on Sunday, according to Mayor James E. Harrington, a club member.

If the homeowner is not insured for the work, the DEP will likely take responsibility, Williams said. The DEP will also determine if any charges will be lodged against the property owner, he added.